1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to computer interfaces and, more particularly, to a method and system of providing dynamic dialogs for use with a downloadable toolbar.
2. Description of Related Art
When accessing the Internet and the World Wide Web, an Internet user typically executes, via a computer, a browser software program such as, for example, Netscape Navigator™ or Microsoft Internet Explorer™. The browser establishes a link to the Internet (via a modem and an Internet Service Provider (ISP), for example) and also provides a textual and graphical user interface which includes a window for displaying Internet content and toolbars for interfacing with the browser.
In order to add functionality to Web browsers, Internet content providers can offer add-ons such as toolbars, via predetermined Internet sites, which can be downloaded or otherwise obtained by an Internet user and integrated into their Web browser interface. Examples of additional functionality that can be added by a downloadable or add-on toolbar include a search function, bookmarks, a pop-up blocker, etc.
Software applications, such as the downloadable toolbar, use temporary windows called dialogs to give information to and obtain information from the user. For example when the user selects functions such as “open”, “save”, “print”, “preferences” and “about”, the application creates a dialog to interface with the user. For example, selecting “about” from the menu bar of an application opens a dialog including the name and version number of the application.
Dialogs can be modal or modeless. A modal dialog does not allow the user to continue to use the application until the dialog is dismissed, while a modeless dialog does not have to be dismissed for a user to continue to utilize the application.
A deficiency with present dialogs, however, is that the information that is displayed in a dialog is limited to the dialog display data that is included in the application data that is initially installed on a user's computer. Therefore, if a software provider wants to support multiple languages, a copy of each dialog in every supported language would have to be included in the initial application data. In addition, the content provider cannot modify the look of a dialog or add options to a dialog without having the user reinstall or upgrade the application. Since it is not preferable to have large installation files that have multiple languages, or to require users to perform frequent reinstallations, a need exists for an improved method and system for providing dynamic dialogs that give the content provider more control over the display and use of dialogs.